Release the hero within you: Blood donating through Red Cross just got easier

With an aim to raise awareness to growing shortage of blood donation, Singapore Red Cross (SRC) and MRM Worldwide Singapore/McCann released a blood donation drive campaign through mobile app called Red Cross Connection.

The Red Cross Connection, with the tagline, “Together, we can make a difference,” is a mobile app that lets the Red Cross reach out to find new donors for specific blood types whenever it is needed.

According to SRC, blood donation would only take 60 minutes of every donor’s time and for every blood donation, it will help to save three lives. But reaching out to potential donors can save countless more.

Currently in Singapore, the blood needs of 5 million people rests on the shoulders of less than 2% of the population. The campaign, launched in November 2013, believes that if only 1% more people in Singapore donated blood, shortages would disappear.

Here’s how it works: when the blood count of a certain type runs low, an alert is sent out, and eligible donors receive a map to the closest available blood drives. If you are not eligible, it is encouraged to share the alert on Facebook or other social media sites to spread the world, and ultimately save lives.

According to a representative from McCann, they came out with this idea during one of their regular brainstorming sessions in 2012 and they thought it would be really cool and useful initiative for SRC. They have decided to reach out to Cecilia, Deputy Sec Gen of Operations, SRC to see if they were keen to explore this idea.

Red Cross Connection allows users to receive and share alerts for needed blood types and the amount needed, track their contributions, lives saved, shares and when they can donate next. It also lets users to view their friends on the network and invite others to join, locate the nearest donation centre, check-in at the centre to inspire your friends to answer the alert and receive invitations to Red Cross donation drives and events.

The Red Cross Connection by SRC reckons that no matter how different we think we are, we are actually all connected by one thing: blood. The same blood that runs through one person’s body can save another’s life.